TheCable

Oluwayemi Ogun, medical director of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, says 61,154 patients visited the facility in 2019.

Speaking on Wednesday at the 2019 presentation of the hospital’s scorecard, she said the figure indicates that there is a 51 percent increase from the 40,502 patients that visited in 2018.

She said the hospital admitted 727 of the psychiatric patients in 2019, and that only 720 patients were admitted in 2018.

The medical director said the number patients under observation rose from 89 patients in 2018 to 262 patients in 2019, which shows 194 percent increase.

According to her, results of medical evaluation showed that 294 psychiatric cases were caused by drug abuse in 2019.

Ogun said the hospital needs electronic medical record system to boost mental health delivery in Nigeria.

“In 2020, it is the wish of the hospital to commence electronic health record system. It is believed that this will reduce waiting time spent to acquire health care services in the hospital,” she said.

“The hospital, however, hopes for an increase in allocation of funds by the federal government. Presently, the hospital has a total of 67 doctors which comprises of 21 consultant psychiatrists, one family physician, 28 resident doctors, eight locum residents doctors and nine corp members.

“In its desire to propagate mental awareness to the grassroots, the hospital in conjunction with BellaVista Development Institute, opened an outreach centre in August 2019 at Badore Ajah, Lagos.”